The forest

The Rockingham Forest is an area of some 200 square miles in North-East Northamptonshire, lying between the Rivers Welland and Nene and the towns of Stamford and Kettering. It has a rich and varied landscape, with farmland, open pasture, pockets of woodland and villages built from local stone.
	There have been permanent settlements in the area for over 5000 years and since the medieval period there has been a general progression of woodland clearance and conversion to arable and pastoral land. It was following the Norman Conquest that the area was designated a royal hunting ground for William the Conqueror and was given the title of Rockingham forest. The term 'Forest' represented an area of legal jurisdiction relating to the King's hunting preserves rather than an area of continuous woodland. The Forest continued to benefit from varying degrees of royal ownership and laws until its final dissolution at the beginning of the 19th century.
	The newly formed Forestry commission took over the final remnants of public woodland in 1923 and carried out further clearance and replanting, mainly with conifer plantations. Recently there has been a significant change in the management of these woodlands; the Commission has introduced the Ancient Woodlands Project and is now replanting large areas with native species such as Oak and Ash.
	The Trust has managed a number of projects that will have long term benefits for the Forest. It has worked with communities, landowners and Local Councils on a range of environmental issues; making a significant contribution towards maintaining the traditional features and character of the Rockingham Forest landscape.